Apparatus for determining the gas content of samples

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for determining the gas content of samples includes a vacuum furnace for heating the samples to be tested which is arranged within a protective housing having a closeable cover and which is connected to a pump within the housing provided for evacuating the furnace. The apparatus includes an indicator for analyzing the gases extracted from the samples, arranged with the furnace in the upper portion of the housing adjacent the cover. The cover is hinged and carries a pivotally mounted cover for the furnace which is located so that it will seat over the furnace closure rim and close it in a gas tight manner when the cover is closed. The cover also includes an opening which is aligned with the indicator so that the indicator readings can be viewed through the cover.

United States Patent 15 3,683,669 Kraus [4 1 Aug. 15, 1972 [541APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE 2,835,230 5/1958 Cleaver et a1 ..110/173GAS CONTENT OF SAMPLES Inventor: Thaddaus Kraus, Vaduz Furstentum,Liechtenstein Assignee: Balzers Patent Und BeteiligungsAktiengesellschaft Filed: June 3, 1970 Appl. No.: 43,109

Foreign Application Priority Data June 21, 1969 Germany ..G 69 24 725.2

US. Cl ..73/19, 220/29 Int. Cl. ..G0ln 7/00, B65d 51/18 Field of Search...73/l9; 220/29, 30, 57; 266/33, 266/]; 110/173, 173 C References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1970 Gasser ..73/19 2/1956 Rosen ..220/20XPrimary Examiner-Richard C. Queisser Assistant Examiner-Ellis J. KochAttorney-McGlew and Toren ABSTRACT An apparatus for determining the gascontent of samples includes a vacuum furnace for heating the samples tobe tested which is arranged within a protective housing having acloseable cover and which is connected to a pump within the housingprovided for evacuating the furnace. The apparatus includes an indicatorfor analyzing the gases extracted from the samples, arranged with thefurnace in the upper portion of the housing adjacent the cover. Thecover is hinged and carries a pivotally mounted cover for the furnacewhich is located so that it will seat over the furnace closure rim andclose it in a gas tight manner when the cover is closed. The cover alsoincludes an opening which is aligned with the indicator so that theindicator readings can be viewed through the cover.

4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATENTEHAun 15 m2 3.663.669

INVENTOR Thodddus Krous ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE GASCONTENT OF SAMPLES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates ingeneral to the construction of gas content determining devices, and inparticular, to a new and useful apparatus for determining the gascontent of samples which is contained within a protective housing whichincludesa cover which pivotally mounts on its underside a cover for thevacuum furnace, the furnace cover being movable with the protectivehousing cover.

The present invention is particularly applicable to an apparatus fordetermining the gas content of samples and which comprises a vacuumfurnace closed by a cover. A pump is connected to the furnace in orderto permit evacuation of the furnace and the apparatus includes anindicator for indicating the gas analysis of the gases extracted fromthe samples within the furnace. For degasing the samples, a smallinduction heated graphite crucible is used principally and this isarranged in the vacuum furnace housing. The furnace, itself, isevacuated through a pump connected to the furnace and which consists ofa diffusion pump and a backing pump. The gases which are given off bythe sample on heating within the furnace are withdrawn from the furnaceusually through the same pump and they are fed to suitable gasdetermining apparatus. For the determination of the type and manner ofthe extracted gases, there is employed for example, a thermalconductivity and infrared absorption. The result of this gasdetermination is shown visibly on an indicator arranged adjacent the topof the protective housing.

Before the evacuation, the furnace must be closed tightly and thefurnace is usually provided with a cover having a packing which can bepressed on the furnace closure seat at the opening of the furnacehousing. After an extraction the furnace can be opened again and a newsample can be introduced. Even if locks are provided for theintroduction of the new samples the furnace must be opened from time totime, for the maintenance and cleaning operations, and then closedagain.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided anarrangement of the apparatus within a protective casing which has acover which may be opened to also open the furnace top and which alsoincludes a visual site area which may be aligned with the indicator forthe gas analysis located within the housing. The arrangement permits atime saving operation and a reliable operation of the apparatus. Inparticular, the handles which are required for operating the apparatusare reduced to a minimum.

In the presently known arrangements, the so-called setting period, thatis, the time required to charge the furnace with a sample, to evaluateit and to recover, after the extraction, the residues of the old samplesso that the furnace is again ready for a new analysis, was a substantialpart of the total working time necessary for a cycle. A short settingperiod is of great importance for the economical operation of gasdetermination apparatus for example, in the continuous examination ofsteel samples in a steel mill during production. This does not refer tothe working time necessary for carrying out the analysis but to thewaiting periods in the course of the production, generallly, and thepossibility of having analytical results available in time during aproduction process which cannot be stopped. For ex ample, the amount ofalloying components to be added in a metallurgical process must bedetermined in time and added to the proper stage of the process.Similarly a refining process must be supervised on the basis of thecurrent control of the composition of the steel. It is thereforeadvisible to arrange all of the parts in a protective housing which isto be used in production plants and which is provided with a door tomake the various parts accessible for operation and attendance.

In accordance with the invention, such a housing includes a cover whichcarries a furnace cover on its interior side which is pivotally mountedand located so that it will be swung into position to align and closethe top of the furnace when the cover is closed. The coveradvantageously includes a sighting area which is aligned over anindicator for observing the gas condition which are determined by theapparatus.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improvedapparatus for determining the gas content of samples and which includesa vacuum furnace for heating the samples to be tested arranged within aprotective housing which is closed by a cover, the cover being pivotallymounted on the housing and having a furnace cover articulated theretoand oriented so that it will be positioned over and closed against thefurnace when the cover is in a closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus fordetermining the gas content of samples which is simple in design, ruggedin construction and economical to manufacture. I

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularlity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated and described a preferredembodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The only FIGURE of the drawing is aside elevational view partly broken away of an apparatus for determiningthe gas content of samples constructed in accordance with the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawingin particular, the invention embodied therein comprises an apparatus fordetermining the gas content of samples which includes a protectivehousing 1 having a cover or closure door 2 which is pivotally mounted at9 adjacent one side, for example, the top of the protective housing 1.

The protective housing contains a vacuum furnace 3 which is evacuated bypump means such as a pump 10 which is partially shown. Heating means areincluded in the protective housing for heating the furnace to suitableoperational temperatures. An indicator 4 for visually showing theanalysis of the gases extracted from the samples in the furnace islocated directly beneath the cover 2. It includes a front side 5 onwhich the measuring result can be read.

in accordance with the invention, the cover 2 carries a furnace closureor furnace cover 6 which is pivotally mounted on bracket 7 on theunderside of the housing cover 2. The furnace closure 6 is mounted sothat when the cover 2 is closed it will engage on a seat 3a of thefurnace and bear, due to its movable connection, on the bracket 7untilit is centered evenly on the packing surface of the seat 3a andpressed downwardly thereon upon further closing of the cover 2 with acorresponding closure force to seal the furnace 3 vacuum tight.

A further feature of the invention is that the protective housing cover2 also has an opening or visual viewing area 8 which can be used in theclosed state as a sight area for observing the front side of theindicator 4. The invention has a special advantage that by opening thedoor 2 the entire maintenance equipment can be exposed, and the furnaceis also opened for introducing new samples for replacing the cruicibleor for other maintenance operations. The apparatus can immediately beconditioned for use again and the cover again closed to carry outfurther testing.

The cover 2 includes an interior surface 2a which is made substantiallyflat so that when it is closed it forms a surface which may be employedas a writing support.

What is claimed is: v

1. An apparatus for determining the gas content of samples comprising aprotective housing having an opening, a housing cover for said housingpivotally mounted on said housing adjacent said opening and beingpivotable between a closed position covering said opening and an openedposition, a furnace for heating samples to be tested located within saidhousing and having a closure seat facing said cover, a pump connected tothe furnace for evacuating said furnace, an indicator in said housinghaving an indicator face facing toward said cover, and a furnace coverpivotally carried on said housing cover and being movable therewith toengage over said closure seat on said furnace and to seal said firstfurnace when said housing cover is closed and to open said furnace whensaid housing cover is opened.

2. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said furnace cover ispivotally mounted on the underside of said housing cover. I

3. An apparatus, according to claim .1, wherein said cover includes asurface having a sight area thereon, orientable over said indicator facewhen said cover is closed to permit reading of the indicator face.

4. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises asubstantially flat member having a flat exterior surface a bracketextending inwardly from the underside of said cover, said furnace coverbeing pivotally mounted on said bracket.

1. An apparatus for determining the gas content of samples comprising aprotective housing having an opening, a housing cover for said housingpivotally mounted on said housing adjacent said opening and beingpivotable between a closed position covering said opening and an openedposition, a furnace for heating samples to be tested located within saidhousing and having a closure seat facing said cover, a pump connected tothe furnace for evacuating said furnace, an indicator in said housinghaving an indicator face facing toward said cover, and a furnace coverpivotally carried on said housing cover and being movable therewith toengage over said closure seat on said furnace and to seal said firstfurnace when said housing cover is closed and to open said furnace whensaid housing cover is opened.
 2. An apparatus, according to claim 1,wherein said furnace cover is pivotally mounted on the underside of saidhousing cover.
 3. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said coverincludes a surface having a sight area thereon, orientable over saidindicator face when said cover is closed to permit reading of theindicator face.
 4. An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein saidcover comprises a substantially flat member having a flat exteriorsurface a bracket extending inwardly from the underside of said cover,said furnace cover being pivotally mounted on said bracket.